Starting from Scratch

by Susan Gilbert-Collins

Book Overview

Why is someone who just defended her doctoral dissertation still wasting her time at her childhood home, two months after her mother's funeral, making coq au vin and osso buco? Olivia Tschetter, the youngest of four high-achieving South Dakotan siblings, is not returning to "normal"--or to graduate school-- quickly enough to suit her family. She wants only to bury herself in her mother's kitchen, finding solace in their shared passion for cooking...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1439143161
• ISBN13: 9781439143162
• Release Date: August 2010
• Publisher: Touchstone Books
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 0.66 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.3" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Seasoning

If you've ever distracted yourself from stress by concocting (or even just consuming) something delectable in the kitchen, Olivia, the main character in Starting from Scratch, will have extra resonance for you. A twentysomething graduate student and the youngest of four siblings, Olivia finds herself back in her childhood home in Brookings, South Dakota following her mother's sudden death. To forestall the return of "normal" life, Olivia postpones resuming her academic career. Instead she volunteers in the community, sorts through her mother's recipes, and prepares one elaborate meal after another, to her family's bemusement. Along the way, Olivia discovers some old secrets, which are perhaps more of a distraction from her own grief than she'd bargained for. The process of navigating sudden loss, artfully explored by Gilbert-Collins, is for Olivia slow, uncertain, and even ironic at times. But like the complementary flavors in one of her own gourmet recipes, Olivia's experiences produce a surprising alchemy; as the weeks pass, memory flavored by immediacy, childhood habits blending into an adult identity, and personal pain seasoned with newfound compassion create for Olivia richer, if altered, relationships with those she loves. Gilbert-Collins tells this story with humor, insight, and a touch of suspense, and surrounds Olivia with excellent yet infuriating siblings who may well remind you of people you grew up with. Starting from Scratch is the best sort of treat: a novel with nuance and depth that's palatable too.

Starting from Scratch will warm you up like...Grandma's hot apple pie!

Olivia Tschetter should be celebrating. She has just defended her doctoral dissertation. Unfortunately, her mother was reaching for something in the kitchen and fall. Two days later, her mother died. Instead of heading back to school, Olivia has found solace in cooking and baking all of her mother's favorite recipes. Her family though is worried about Olivia. Olivia tries to assure her family that she is alright but it is hard when they keep treating her like a child. Olivia goes to fill in temporary for her sister, Annie at Meals on Wheels. Olivia ends up staying on, helping with the computer and delivering meals. Olivia makes new friends. Olivia also ends up writing an advice column like her mother used to. Though this journey, Olivia learns more about whom her mother was and who Olivia wants to be. Starting from Scratch will warm you up like...Grandma's hot apple pie! Olivia won my heart over. She was so sweet, full of personality and charming. You couldn't help but like her. Olivia and her family grew closer through the course of this book. This book could have been sad but instead it was light-hearted and a plain old good read. Everyone, I met in this book I liked. The recipes inserted throughout this book were an added bonus. There were recipes for things like Chocolate Puddle (cake cooked in a cast iron skillet), Greek Egg-Lemon Soup, and Late Night Fried Spaghetti to name a few. I can't wait to see what author; Susan M. Gilbert-Collins comes out with next.

strong introspective family drama

Food has always dominated the Tschetter family. When the matriarch Vivian dies, her husband and four adult children toast their beloved with food that provides them with some comfort. The youngest twenty-seven year old single woman Olivia, who just defended her dissertation, was the closest to their mom so she struggles the most with her departure. Olivia shared everything with her mother and not just their love of cooking. Although her dad and her siblings worry about her, Olivia returns to her childhood home and replaces her mom as the hostess at family get-togethers. Starting from Scratch is a strong introspective family drama that is mostly seen through the eyes of Olivia. The death of the matriarch impacts her loved ones differently though all mourn their loss. The older siblings worry about their youngest sister who is the most like their late mom. Olivia's "chats" with mom enable the reader to comprehend why she is cherished in death as she laws adored and loved in life. Ironically though food is a prime healing ingredient, the recipes feel intrusive as this is a great psychological character study primarily focusing mostly on grieving as a personal emotional reaction to the death of a loved one although there is also insight into the psychology of siblings. Susan Gilbert-Collins provides a discerning powerful tale. Harriet Klausner

More than chick lit or cooking

This book was offered to me as a review copy. Sometimes I enjoy an escape visit with chick lit. What really intrigued me was the description of the heroine: we don't usually find a protagonist who just defended her PhD dissertation in linguistics. Since I have a PhD myself, I was hooked. To my surprise, the book seems considerably stronger and far more intelligent than most novels described as chick lit. The author moves very close to literary fiction, except that the main characters are female and she includes recipes. As a sometime writer myself, I am blown away by the authors craftsmanship. She consistently follows the maxim to "Show, don't tell." For instance, early in the book she presents a funny story of how the family acquired their Siamese cat. This story tells us more about the family than dozens of pages of descriptive prose...and it's fun to read, too. The Tschetter family is presented affectionately but not sentimentally. We view the world consistently through the eyes of Olivia, the youngest of four children, all raised in a small town in South Dakota. We get a sense of how each sibling has developed a strong personality. The author does a remarkable job of showing how the siblings relate as adults, drawn together by family obligation yet rubbing against each other the way family members do. The family isn't dysfunctional; mostly they love and respect each other. But like all families, they tend to talk about trivial things and they often drive each other mad. Even more amazing, the author kept me hooked without much action. Perhaps the liveliest climactic scene comes at a family dinner, when a surprising announcement sets off some strong emotions. Olivia does discover some family secrets, but there's no hard-edged suspense. The ending comes as a consequence of Olivia's actions, where in some ways she mirrors her mother's capacity for strength and propensity to interfere in other people's lives. Olivia's actions, purpose and outcome will be considerably different. Olivia's mother, Vivian, remains alive through flashbacks form Olivia's conversation and memories. Her father seems more of a shadowy character; he's called "Father" throughout, so it took me awhile to recognize his first name. Yet he's not a distant patriarch, absorbed in intellectual pursuits; he engages with Olivia and even knows how to do a few things in the kitchen. Olivia's male sibling and erstwhile boyfriend are similarly distant from us; we never really get inside David's head as we do with the sisters. Perhaps the author is more comfortable with female characters, but only slightly so. I was especially fascinated with the family's support of Olivia's graduate school career. She's studying at a university the author calls St Anselm's. Unless this school is extremely prestigious, and unless Olivia's a spectacular student, her chances of finding a full-time job in linguistics range, sadly, from slim to none. Olivia's advisor has been extraordinarily kind. How

Recipe for Grief Recovery: Gently Fold in Joy

Food, and the joy of it, weaves this wonderful novel together. In the Tschetter family, meals, ingredients and recipes shared are a huge part of their identity. So when Vivian suddenly dies, leaving a husband and four highly accomplished young adults to cope, it is her legacy with food that comforts the family and helps them to move on. Especially the main character, Olivia, who at twenty-seven is the youngest sibling and still single. Olivia has always been close to her mother; sharing her love for cooking and confiding in her. Now she moves back home and quickly takes on the hostess role at family gatherings. Almost as if she is taking her mother's place, as if Vivian's mantle is settling on her daughter's shoulders. It was fun to watch this story unfold! To observe the dynamics of the siblings and be reminded that familiar patterns from childhood are often still at play as adults. It was a treat to meet the people for whom Vivian, and later Olivia, made a difference. To discover the surprises and family secrets as they began to emerge. And to recognize Olivia moving within the spirit of her mother despite discombobulating sorrow - yet remaining uniquely herself. This is a mother daughter story with many rich overtones and Susan Gilbert-Collins is adept at telling it. She transitions smoothly between background and immediate scenes. She embeds information so that a second reading is even more delightful than the first. The book's dialogue and banter feel ever so natural, and I loved Olivia's inner conversations! I enjoyed watching her come into her own. And, of course, there are the recipes! The food is everywhere and embellishes the book in many forms. This is a study of grief and caring and moving on. Remembering and enfolding the beloved, yet facing the necessity of taking bold steps forward. Sometimes that means starting from scratch!